A guard at the Weizmann Institute of Science at Rehovoth has been arrested and will shortly be brought to trial on charges of espionage, police officials announced here today. The name of the arrested man was not revealed.
The suspect, who has been under detention since November, will face two charges: passing information to a foreign agent with the intention of violating the security of the state, and passing information without authorization with intent to harm the security of the state. The first charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, while the latter may bring up to a life term.
During an extensive investigation, security agents learned that the supernumerary policeman, who came to Israel ten years ago, had maintained contact with a foreign agent in Israel. That agent apparently encouraged him to go abroad last July. While abroad he made contact with another foreign agent and underwent special training to prepare him for espionage in science.
Following his return to Israel, the suspect showed an unusual interest in what was going on in the laboratories and tried to make friends with scientists, according to the charges. He was present at important social functions, frequently coming without an invitation. While on duty, he entered laboratories–despite regulations which forbade it.
The Weizmann Institute has a number of nuclear science projects in progress and, like other institutions of higher learning in Israel, is working on research contracts for the United States armed forces.
The special policeman, who speaks Hebrew, Yiddish and Russian, was teaching himself English, apparently in order to further his friendship with Institute scientists, most of whom use that language. He was a member of an anti-Communist group whose headquarters are in Germany and his trip abroad was taken on the pretext that he was attending in Germany an international convention of the organization. He was also present at the last nuclear science conference in Geneva and mixed with Israeli scientists.
It is known that the accused man has an 18-year-old son living in his country of origin. This young man is the child of his first marriage. In Israel, he lives with his second wife, a Polish Christian, and a ten-year old son.
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